The Method For A Gentle World
by Kukasabe Swift
Summary: The day he met a wheelchair-bound woman named Rin and her caretaker Obito was the day Hatake Kakashi began to let go of his past. [AU, set in a daycare. Angst Fluff with toddler!GeninGang] CHAP 3: Kakashi is a judge in the Twentieh-or-so Toddler Drawing Contest.
1. meeting nohara rin

The day he met a wheelchair-bound woman named Rin and her caretaker Obito was the day Hatake Kakashi began to let go of his past. [AU, set in a daycare. Angst + Fluff with toddler!GeninGang]

Disclaimer: The cover image is not mine. Also, I STOLE KAKASHI'S MASK but other than that I don't own Naruto *wears thy stinky mask*

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**The Method For A Gentle World**  
_'... life is a beautiful lie, and death is an ugly truth...'_

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He didn't know when to stop his addiction. It was bad for him, but Kakashi clung onto it like a child would to a doll.

He knew _how_ to stop his addiction. There were about a hundred ways to do so– get a new, slightly more interesting job; make some new friends; travel north and maybe visit his father's grave– Minato's one, not Sakumo's; settle down with a woman and restart his pathetic excuse of a life –but all of them were either too difficult or too distasteful for Kakashi to do (the last option was the epitome of that statement).

His addiction was not one of materialistic concern. It was more of a mental problem; a depression, of sorts. Kakashi suffered from an addiction known as 'the addiction of aimlessly wandering about the world for no reason but to be alive'. But he preferred the term 'mid-life crisis', thank you very much.

Kakashi did have a job as a college teacher, although he didn't like it. The atmosphere was too dense with chatter and work (he appreciated his colleagues giving him his personal space; Kakashi was rather asocial). He could leave his job, but in this world, there existed life, and in life, there existed a stupid thing called money, which Kakashi thought was an obstacle to ultimate utopia (In his perfect world, everybody payed each other with happiness– cue the delusional crap).

No job = no money = no life.

Which brought him back to the question of 'why do I care about money if I don't even care about my life?'

The thought struck him hard on one gloomy night. It had many times before, but Kakashi was thirty and growing white hair amongst his silver ones. It was that night in which he decided to stop the ticking of his soul clock and kill himself.

4 AM. It was early in the morning, and not many people were at the station he chose. The intense indigo of the sky and the numbing cold of the sharp morning air mingled into a setting perfect for the occasion. Kakashi stood at the edge of the platform, awaiting the one-way express from Iwa heading to Kiri. He glanced back at the signpost where it had _KONOHA_ painted on it. Kakashi remembered when he and Minato first arrived in the city, and how that sign was the first thing his eight-year old self saw after staring curiously out of the window.

Such a memory was meant to be fond, but Kakashi just felt a bottomless emptiness. It didn't matter, anyway.

Three more minutes before the leap. Kakashi wanted to die with no regrets, but he had too many. He decided that he was here to die, not to die with content.

Two more minutes before the leap. He wondered if this was a bit rushed– after all, he'd made the decision in his bed at the middle of the night. Kakashi wasn't even in proper clothing; he wore a white shirt and black pants and... was he _barefoot_?

One more minute before the leap. Kakashi could see the glimmer of light in the distance. Good. Death's carriage was right on time.

Hatake Kakashi closed his eyes and inhaled the morning air. He thought of his halcyon days, of Sakumo pushing him on the swings, of Minato letting ice-cream droop on his shirt, of Sakumo teasing him about his bed hair, of Kushina giving him a dead daisy, of his mother holding– holding him tight before Death stole her away–

Of Sakumo's tears, Minato's tears, Kushina's tears–

"Dammit." Kakashi felt his eyes water. "Shit. Dammit. _Fuck_."

The noise of grinding wheels wailed like a banshee, snapping Kakashi out of his reverie. He saw the train come closer to the station. _It's coming_, he thought. _I'll be able to see all of you again... Father... Kushina... Minato..._

_... Mother._

Twin beacons engulfed the station with its blinding light. The train was approaching fast, its wheels a-clacking and a-clicking, and Kakashi could hear nothing but the sound of his heart thrumming as the train came closer, and closer, and _closer_–

_Time to leap._

A hand tugged his.

Kakashi glanced back in shock.

Brown eyes met with black. He was transfixed by the intensity in those chocolate orbs, which stared unflinchingly into his own black, soulless ones. Confusion flared in his irises. Why was he still on the platform and not in an amorphous heap on the railway tracks?!

One; the train zoomed past before he could throw himself in front of it. Two; some wheelchair-bound woman with brown hair grabbed his hand at the last minute.

It was only the two of them at the station. They stared at each other for a while, until the woman spoke in a soft voice:

"You were going to jump."

It wasn't a question.

Kakashi wrung his hand out of hers. "So what if I was? It's... it's none of your business."

"No, no it isn't." The woman gently smiled, and Kakashi noticed the peculiar purple band-aids on both of her cheeks. "May I ask why you wanted to die?"

"Like I said, it's none of your business."

"Please? I had trouble just to get over here by myself."

Pity-seeker. Kakashi hated pity-seekers, but then again, he was one too. "Isn't it obvious?" he sighed. "I have nothing to do in my life. I have nothing left in the world that I love. Why grace the world with my presence when I can be happier on the other side?"

The woman seemed to ponder about his statement. "So your reason is the generic kind. 'I don't know what to do with my life, so why keep on living?' Well, I don't know, why _not_? Maybe you haven't found your reason for living."

"No, I lost it a long time ago."

"Then why don't you find a new one?"

"All of them don't interest me."

She laughed, her eyes crinkled in amusement. The silver-head scowled at this before averting his gaze to the railway tracks. "Did you know," said the woman, "that life is a beautiful lie, and death is an ugly truth?"

"I would choose death rather than the lie I've been living."

"Really? I would choose the lie. Unlike the truth, lies can be twisted into one's own liking, just like life. Yes, you _can_ determine the way you die, but the aftermath is all the same.

"When you die, you become the absolute definition of nothing."

Something in her words made Kakashi flinch. "You don't know that. You haven't died."

"Try staying in a coma for three months. It's almost the same thing." The woman closed her eyes, as if reliving that thought. "The way I see it, you're being unreasonable." She faced him with glowing eyes. "You can still have a reason for living."

"Impossible."

"It's not impossible. Difficult, but not impossible."

"As I said before," huffed Kakashi, "this is none of your business. All I ever knew from this world left me. If I die... I'll be able to meet them in my utopia..."

"Your utopia?" she asked.

"Yes. I believe that when someone dies, they will continue to exist in their own version of an afterlife. That afterlife will contain everything that makes them happy with no discontent, hence 'utopia'."

"That's actually a good belief. I'm surprised." The woman put a finger to her mouth, as if in thought. "But... hm. No. That won't do."

Before Kakashi could even raise his brow, the woman pulled out a card from her pants pocket. "Here," she said, offering it to him. "It contains my address and phone number. Go on, take it."

Kakashi eyed her warily. As if reading his mind, she sighed. "If I can't find you a reason to live in one week, then you can kill yourself."

"You would trust me with information about you?"

"I don't think you would rape a disabled woman, so yes, I trust you."

When the silver-head made no move to grab the card, the woman pouted. "Please? I'm just asking for one chance. Why be happier on the other side when you can grace the world with your presence?"

He didn't appreciate the way she used his words. Kakashi preferred his utopia over her offer at salvation, but she seemed to be really persistent. She was also semi-guilt-tripping him by the way she pleaded with those intense chocolate eyes. Before he knew it, Kakashi had taken the card out of her hand.

She smiled at him, but Kakashi's attention was on the card. He was surprised that it was a business card from the 'Konoha Daycare'. Ignoring the kiddy design and pictures, Kakashi spotted a name printed in bold. "Nohara Rin," he read out.

"That's me," nodded Rin. "What about you?"

"... Hatake Kakashi."

Rin stifled a laugh. "Scarecrow in the farmland?"

"Shut up." Kakashi didn't like it when people teased his name (he took pride in it). "I'm leaving now. Don't stop me."

As Kakashi began to walk away, Rin called out to him; "Promise you'll come to the daycare?"

The silver-head glanced back. Lazily, he waved his hand. "You have one week."

He didn't know if she was smiling behind him, but he could imagine it on her face.

It was 4:32 AM, and while it was still very early, there were a few early birds. Kakashi walked away, oblivious to the small amount of people walking past him in their outdoor attire (he felt slightly embarrassed at his own choice of clothing, but he _was_ supposed to be dead by now). They stared at him as if he was homeless, and Kakashi thought he might as well be.

Kakashi looked up at the sky and watched the stars. "Nohara Rin," he whispered. She was interesting, but that was the best compliment he could think of. Kakashi still didn't know why she wanted to help him. Was it out of sympathy? Or pity? Maybe she was tricking him– she might've disguised herself as a disabled woman just to gain sympathy points. It would make sense since Rin didn't seem to be bothered by her lack of leg mobility.

Was Rin tricking him so she could kill him? (Not that it mattered to Kakashi, since he wanted to die anyway).

As the questions became farfetched, Kakashi felt a shoulder roughly brush his.

"Excuse me! Wah! Sorry!"

A black-haired man bowed before him in apology. "Sorry for bumping into you!" And with that, he scampered away.

Kakashi shook his head. The man must've been in a rush for a train. He had noted the ridiculous orange goggles dangling from the man's neck, along with his black eyes. They made him strangely youthful. If Kakashi's eyes were soulless, then the man's eyes were childish.

Seeing that childishness still in an adult's eyes was intimidating. Kakashi wondered if he would ever attain that same glow in his eyes.

His eyes traveled to the card in his hand. Or rather, his ticket to salvation.

_If I can't find you a reason to live in one week, then you can kill yourself._

Kakashi didn't know if he'd made a deal with a devil or an angel.


	2. angst collides with fluff

baka = idiot  
aho = stupid  
nii/nii-san + aniki = big brother  
jiisan/oji-san = uncle, general term for a middle-aged man

Dark comedy ahead + potential OOCness! (I've already made Kakashi masochistic... *is shot*).

Arigato to Stalwart Writer, Aeria Swordlancer, YamiB1999, Blu Rose + Mark (E3-FantasyandReality) especially for his long review, as well as those who followed and favorited this unplanned work of words (seriously!) *salutes*

Disclaimer: The cover image is not mine. Also, Naruto the manga and Naruto the ramen-loving protag is not mine ;3

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**The Method For A Gentle World**  
_'... Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, meet Bakashi...'  
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He made a miscalculation yesterday (technically it was three hours ago). Kakashi was so sure he would die that he didn't even consider the possibility of being interrupted by a person (specifically a wheelchair-bound woman named Nohara Rin). Because of that, he'd slept at five in the morning and woke up at six for work.

Usually, the lack of sleep didn't bother him since he was semi-insomniac, but last night– three hours ago –Kakashi's brain wracked itself up into an agonizing headache. Plus, he'd been extremely restless. His mind was shouting _sleep goddammit_ while his body was being all _get up and sprint goddammit_. Kakashi settled on neither.

Worse yet, his thoughts kept coming back to the train station and to Rin. Her words had carved themselves into the tissue of his brain, and they echoed endlessly in his mind. It'd caused him unwanted agony for the rest of the night– morning– whatever. Because of that, he decided to raincheck his decision until he was fully awake.

Work wasn't all that bad. Kakashi only had to teach one class, and the rest of the day included sorting out the teaching criteria for tomorrow's ones. With his silver hair and baggy eyes, he must've looked like a ghost wandering in the staffroom. As per usual, his colleagues left him alone (Asuma offered him coffee, to which Kakashi declined. And Gai was always more of an annoyance than a colleague).

_May I ask why you wanted to die?_

That voice. Kakashi shot up from his sleep, blinking as the words of the SWWII analysis page adjusted themselves to him. "I fell asleep..."

_You were going to jump._

That voice was haunting him. Kakashi tried to ignore it, but the second his eyes began closing, her voice came back–––

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–––"Kakashi."

The next time he opened his eyes, Kakashi found himself in his Mind Palace (he'd often visit in his dreams). He spotted the familiar wheelchair in the distance, and the woman in it waving her hand.

"Kakashi, come over here."

He didn't know why he complied, but he winded around the many gravestones his cemetery-like mind contained. As he stopped a few feet in front of her, Rin took this as a sign to speak.

"Nice mind you have here."

"Thanks," said Kakashi, before his voice became edged. "How come you're in it?"

"Rude. Isn't it obvious? I'm in here because you're thinking about me."

He was taken aback, but his pride made him hide it. "I didn't want to think about you. _You_ made me think about you."

Rin laughed. "I'm crafty, aren't I?"

Huffing, Kakashi walked away from her, but he stopped once he heard the squeaking of wheels.

"This is interesting." Turning around, Kakashi watched as Rin read the engraving of one of the gravestones. "HATAKE SAKUMO – playground swings – date unknown." She looked at him. "Did... did your father die from–?"

"_No._" He couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "All of the gravestones here contain memories I've had since I was little."

Mind palaces were nifty things used to store information to be remembered later; in short, it was a mnemonic device. Kakashi forged his sometime in his early-teens, not for the use of a memory aid, but so he couldn't forget his precious memories.

"Can I see this one?"

Kakashi sighed. "You do realize that I value my privacy."

Rin pouted. "Fine, I'll do it myself."

"Wait–" Only Kakashi could access his memories! Vexed, he ran to Rin and swiped her hand from the gravestone, but he'd been too naive. Rin took his hand almost immediately and slammed it on the rough stone. It was a silent law in his mind palace that as soon as he touched a gravestone, a memory would replay before him.

And replay it did.

_Otou-san–_

Images of Sakumo clouded his vision. The cemetery slowly morphed into a playground surrounded bya field of grass and daisies. The sunlight beamed down on the colorful plastic of the slide and seesaw, but the only people there were situated in the swings. Kakashi watched as his dead father pushed his eight-year-old self on the swings.

_You sure you don't want me to push you higher?_

Kakashi had forgotten Sakumo's voice, but he imagined it to be like the gentle growl of a lion.

_But otou-san, this is already fun._

Sakumo kept pushing him gently– Kakashi had been a kid who liked gentle swings.

_Besides, I'll fall off if I go high._

_No, you won't. When you're high you can be anything. You can be a bird... or even the ruler of the sky!_

_Really? Anything?_

Kakashi walked over to them. He glanced at himself before looking at his father. Sakumo's appearance was hazy– even Kakashi's memory wasn't that great.

Sakumo smiled at him. Kakashi flinched, but glumly realized that it was directed to his other self.

_You bet!_

Little Kakashi beamed at him the way Older Kakashi thought he might've looked back then. _Then push me higher!_

This was what Kakashi wanted. He wanted to be the one being pushed on the swings by his dead father until he was as high as the clouds.

He wanted to bring back his childhood.

_Kakashi–––_

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–––He awoke. The cafe buzzed around him, and Kakashi drowsily found that the analysis had been stained with coffee.

He left without drinking the rest of it.

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The good news was that Kakashi had stopped his addiction (the 'addiction of aimlessly wandering about the world for no reason but to be alive'). The bad news was that after aimlessly wandering around for no reason (literally), he was seriously considering death.

He was under no obligation to go to Nohara Rin's daycare and let her mess with his life. Sure, he promised to go, but people broke promises all the time. It wasn't a law to keep one's promise– it was more of a social convention that was expected from everyone except lowlifes and assholes.

Kakashi wasn't a lowlife or an asshole, but he certainly was human.

And humans were famous hypocrites.

He could end his life right now. Above him was an empty flowerpot on a windowsill. If he just waited for that crow to knock it over the edge, it would hit his head, gash his scalp, make it bleed crimson, and send him straightaway to his long-awaited utopia. The end.

That bike was even an option. Kakashi could take off its chain, coil it around his neck, and wring himself dry of oxygen until he collapsed onto the pavement. The end.

Or he could just simply walk onto the road and get run over by a car.

Yeah, that sounded good.

Kakashi, who was awaiting the onslaught of cars to greet him, looked at the daycare card and sighed. "Sorry. Temptation got the better of me."

With a deep breath, he took a step forward just as a red motorbike sped towards him.

The image of the swings came to his mind.

_I'm coming, utopia.  
_

Until–

"Idiot!"

Someone suddenly tugged the back of his shirt, and before Kakashi could blink, he was violently pulled back as the motorbike whizzed past him (but not before the rider flashed him the finger). Kakashi whirled around to complain to whoever had 'saved' him, and saw a black-haired man with ridiculous orange goggles and childish eyes– _wait_.

"Idiot!" the man shouted at him, pointing to the right. "There's a pedestrian right over there! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

Why yes, he was. Not that Kakashi would ever reveal that. "Sorry. I didn't see."

"WHA–?! What's with that attitude?! You should thank me for saving your ass!"

"Fine." For the sake of it, Kakashi bowed. "Thanks."

"WHA–?! Don't do it so half-heartedly! Gah," the man sighed as he turned away, "don't worry about it. I'm already late. Why'd I have to help Niakawa-san with her groceries today?"

Before he left, the man glanced back at Kakashi. "Don't get run over, okay? I don't want to live knowing that I couldn't stop your death."

"It's not your responsibility."

"No, it's _everyone's_ responsibility."

His words confused Kakashi. As he watched the man walk away, he wondered if he should listen to a stranger's words. He shoved his hands into his pants pocket but felt nothing. Kakashi nonchalantly panicked for a moment, but realized that he had dropped the daycare card after his meant-to-be-death. He stared at it from the sidewalk, wondering if he should listen to Nohara Rin's words.

He supposed... it wouldn't hurt to just visit.

He could leave if he wanted to– it wasn't as though Nohara Rin would force him to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to toddlers... could she?

Kakashi hoped not, but he had nothing else better to do for the rest of the day. "Might as well be polite," he sighed, walking over to his rectangular piece of doom to pick it up.

There was a screech. Card in hand, Kakashi looked up to see a white car speeding towards him.

_Huh... guess I'll get my utopia after all.  
_

Until–

"IDIOT!"

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Somehow, Uchiha Obito was chivalrous in his own childish way. Even after Kakashi let himself get nearly run over twice, Obito took it upon himself to walk with Kakashi so the 'idiot' wouldn't get into more trouble. Still, the silver-head didn't appreciate that the man dragged him across the pedestrian while mumbling curses under his breath.

"So Bakashi, where are you going?"

Stupid nickname. Kakashi glared at Obito, who had his arms crossed behind his head. "I'm going to Konoha Daycare."

Obito's eyes widened. "You have kids?!"

"No. I'm going there under someone's request."

"Oh. That makes sense. Rin-chan's always trying to save people like you."

Kakashi was surprised by that, but Obito continued; "Still, I don't get," and he jabbed a finger in the silver-head's direction, "why she chooses the most annoying ones!"

Kakashi opted to ignore him, which further pissed Obito off. However, the black-haired man didn't take the bait and just settled on mumbling under his breath again. The two lapsed into a tense silence until Kakashi voiced out his thoughts.

"I didn't realize that she saves people."

Obito let a chuckle slip past him. "You're not the first Rin-chan's encountered. She'll approach anybody gloomy-looking. Some of the parents that drop off their kids at the daycare always talk to her about their problems." He paused. "Actually, how did you two meet?"

"It was yesterday at the train station," yawned Kakashi. "You actually bumped into me."

"I did? Wait– you were that guy?!"

"Mhm. It's a small world."

"Gah, I made such a fool of myself." Obito sighed. "So, what type are you? Weirdo, addict, victim, pariah, or general bastard?"

Kakashi thought about it. The closest he ever got to 'weirdo' was his unusual interest in the perverted Icha Icha novel series; he was a daily 'addict' of negativity; the death of his parents and his stepfather made him a victim of grief + depression; and all of the aforementioned labeled him a social 'pariah'. (He didn't know about 'general bastard'– it might've been an insult). "All except for the last one."

"Huh. Bakashi. No wonder you didn't use the pedestrian."

Kakashi glared at him.

Somehow during their conversation, Kakashi knew that they were both going to the daycare. He had a feeling that Obito would lead him there until the two arrived at a small fruit store. Obito made a beeline towards the stall of strawberries and began taking punnet after punnet. Behind him, Kakashi watched in mild confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Picking up strawberries," said Obito, who didn't even spare a glance at him.

Kakashi scowled. "I know that. I meant, why are you taking so much?"

"Ten little boxes of strawberries aren't that much. Besides, they're for Rin-chan."

Kakashi would reply with a dull remark, but even he knew the boundaries. He was sure– it was blatantly obvious, for Kami's sake –that Uchiha Obito had a crush on Nohara Rin, and would beat the living crap out of anyone who insulted about her appetite for strawberries.

That still didn't stop him, though.

"Are you sure it isn't because they're 20% off?"

Obito turned to him with a shopping basket ten punnets full and glared.

"Bakashi."

"Ahobito."

"H–HEY! I'm not stupid! Take that back!"

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Konoha Daycare was finally in their sights. After walking with Obito for twenty minutes (in which five were spent in silence and the other fifteen in arguing), Kakashi learned that Obito was Rin's caretaker and roommate, & he had a secret-but-no-so-secret crush on her (the only thing Obito could pry from his secretive mouth was his job).

The daycare wasn't what Kakashi expected it to be. It was a house with a slated roof and whitewashed walls, which were decorated with chalk drawings of different pastel colors. The house was hugged with a small lawn full of daffodils, and a sign staked at the lawn declared the daycare's name and phone number. It looked like five-year-old kids ran the place instead of two adults.

"Rin-chan should be home," said Obito, swinging his bag of strawberries over his shoulder. He knocked on the door, even though Kakashi saw a doorbell. "Rin-chan! It's me with your strawberries~!" Obito glanced back at Kakashi. "Oh. And your new client, too."

No reply came. Obito squashed his ear at the door to hear inside. "Rin-chan? Wha– GAH!"

The door suddenly opened, making Obito awkwardly fall forwards. Kakashi sighed at him before looking through the doorway and spotting three toddlers standing on the carpet.

"Obi-nii!"

"Aniki!?"

"Oji-san."

The first one was a boy with spiky, blonde hair and sea-blue eyes. He wasted no second in hopping on Obito's back and yelling, "'et's play horsey!"

The second one was a girl with short, pink hair and leafy-green eyes. "Dun hurt him, baka!" she shouted, running to pull the blonde off.

The third one was a boy with chin-length, black hair and jet-black eyes. He stood watching the pair and muttered, "Baka."

Meanwhile, Kakashi watched the situation with a sweat-drop.

"Get off me, Naruto! Sakura, no fighting! And Sasuke, don't just stand there!"

Upon hearing Obito's orders, Naruto slid off the elder's back; Sakura kept quiet; and Sasuke sat down.

Obito frowned. "I didn't mean it literally... and Sasuke... why won't you defend your aniki?!"

"You're too old to be my aniki," came the short reply.

"Sasuke-baka! Dun be mean to Obi-nii!" shouted Naruto, but Sakura swooped between him and Sasuke.

"Sasu-kun was jus' telling the truth, Naru-kun!"

"But Sakura-chan!"

"Oji-san, who is that?"

Four pairs of eyes wandered to the silver-haired male standing in the doorway. "Oh," said Obito, "he's Rin-chan's newest client. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, meet Bakashi. Bakashi, meet Naruto, Sakura, Sasu–"

"Woah! Baka-shi? Is t'at really your name?!"

"No, baka, aniki obviously doesn't like him!"

"Wah? You so smart, Sakura-chan!"

Kakashi was about to have a headache when Sasuke tugged the hem of his pants. "What's your real name, oji-san number two?"

"It's Hatake Kakashi."

"Hmph." Sasuke crossed his arms. "You can be Hatake-jiisan."

Suddenly, Naruto ran to hug Kakashi's leg. "Cool, scarecrow!"

"Baka! Dun be inconsid'rate!" yelled Sakura, who squeaked when she met Kakashi's stare. "S-Sorry Kaka-san!"

"It's... fine." To be perfectly honest, he felt awkward being surrounded by three toddlers. It felt even more awkward when one of them didn't let go of his leg until after Obito (who'd been laughing his stupid ass off) told Naruto to do so. Kakashi looked at the three and raked his fingers through his hair. So _this_ was what Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin did for a living, and _these_ were the children they usually babysat.

Just how was Nohara Rin planning on finding his reason to live in this place?!

A laugh. "Ah? What's going on here?"

Speak of the devil.

(Kakashi thought literally.)


	3. drawing contest

oba-san = aunt, general term for a middle-aged woman

Dedicated to Mark for being a great writing buddy. Good luck on your escapade!

Arigato to DaughteroftheMafia, YamiB1999, Twisted-Vampire Knight-Red, Tiger Lily Burning Bright + E3-FantasyandReality especially for his long review yet again, as well as those who followed and favorited *salutes!*

Disclaimer: The cover image is not mine. tsundere!Kakashi is mine, but I don't own the Kakashi in the anime/manga *hides behind pillow*

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**The Method For A Gentle World**  
_'... how do you know that name?...'  
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Kakashi was glad that the toddler trio had their attention focused elsewhere instead of him. He didn't know how to deal with those younger than him (especially when they were loud, meek, or broody). He watched as Naruto threw his wonky paper-plane in the air, only to have it hit Sasuke in the head, who glared at the blonde until Sakura apologized on Naruto's behalf before calling said blonde 'baka'. In the sidelines, Obito laughed and told Naruto how to make proper paper-planes (and how to aim for Sasuke's head again. Ahobito).

They were in the daycare's backyard, which was more colorful than its counterpart at the front of the establishment. There were chalk drawings on the walls and fences; various tables and toys set up; and mini plastic slides and swings. Kakashi thought it was... a bit over the top. But he wouldn't expect something less from something he wouldn't understand.

Rin sipped on her coffee, smile still on her face. "Cute, aren't they?"

Kakashi glanced at her. The two were seated at a table under an awning having coffee and strawberries. "They're... tolerable."

"They aren't, really," she chuckled, "but we have fun."

She reclined back on her wheelchair, snatching a strawberry in the process. "I'm glad you came. A part of me thought you wouldn't."

A part of Kakashi thought he wouldn't, too. "It was only polite for me to come. I could still leave if I wanted too."

"I wouldn't be sure about that."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, but before he could ask, Rin fleeted to another topic. "So Kakashi, your utopia-theory had me up all night." The way she smiled was almost forced. "Care to elaborate?"

He gave her a blank look. "I know what you're doing," he said, dryly. "It might help your other clients, but therapy has never worked for me."

"Who said this was therapy? I'm just curious about your theory. You say that after someone dies, they'll continue to live in their ideal world. What if that person committed grave sins when they were alive? Will they be robbed of their utopia?"

"It depends," sighed Kakashi, the cup's rim touching his lips. "Utopia can only be granted to those who still have regrets when they die. Those regrets can be anything from unrighteous wrongs or unfulfilled wishes, and a person can right those wrongs or fulfill those wishes in their utopia."

"So it's a second chance," said Rin. "What if they have no regrets?"

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's possible, though." Rin regarded him with a shrug, popping another strawberry in her mouth. "So there's no heaven or hell?"

He shook his head.

"No god or higher being?"

He shook his head.

"Just default happiness?"

Kakashi flinched, the coffee sloshing.

"... Yes."

Rin drank from her own cup, but Kakashi knew she was hiding her frown.

"I see."

It was the first time he'd seen her frown.

"Well, enough talk." Rin placed her cup on the table, her disposition brighter– and more determined? –than before. "We should join with the others, don't you think?" She took another strawberry and popped it playfully in her mouth.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Scarecrow-nii!"

"Kaka-san?!"

"Hatake-jiisan."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows as he was greeted by three different voices from toddlers with three different personalities.

"Oh, it's Bakashi."

Make that four.

"Aw, you already get nicknames," teased Rin. Kakashi gave a quiet 'tch' before Naruto came tugging on his hand.

"Scarecrow-nii, scarecrow-nii! Look! 'sn't it good? I did it m'self!"

The blonde held up a messy drawing of a fox in yellow strokes. Kakashi tried to come up with a good-enough compliment (on the other hand, he had many insults).

"It's... okay."

That seemed to work for Naruto as his chubby face grinned, teeth exposed. Kakashi looked away and stopped the smile that threatened to come. He could hear Rin giggle and Obito snicker beside him. He would've glared if not for the blur of pink hair tentatively walking towards him.

"..."

Kakashi peered down and saw Sakura and her drawing of a cat in red strokes. It was actually better than Naruto's messy style, he thought.

"... K–Kaka-san–"

"It looks decent."

Hearing that comment, Sakura flushed pink– as pink as her own hair. "A–Arigato!" she squeaked, and wasted no time in running to Naruto. Kakashi wondered if he said something wrong, but he missed the small smile plastered on the little girl's face.

He noticed black hair at the corner of his eye, and he realized that it was Sasuke. Kakashi watched as the boy held up his own drawing of a snake in blue strokes in an absolute manner, as if he was ordering Kakashi to judge it as well.

"It's alright."

Accepting that verdict, Sasuke bowed. "Arigato, Hatake-jiisan," he said before following after Sakura.

Honestly, Kakashi felt amused after judging their artworks. Rin must've noticed this because she moved towards him and said, "You know, we could arrange a toddler drawing contest."

Kakashi looked at her. "You want me as a judge, don't you?"

"Hey," she grinned, "you _enjoyed_ it."

Kakashi found that he couldn't say no to that. Damn Nohara Rin and her sneaky psychological skills. "_Fine_. What do I have to do?"

Rin glanced behind her. "Obito? What do you think?"

The black-haired man pondered. "Hmm. I say that each toddler gets to draw two drawings... and there will be two rounds. Each round will have a theme... Bakashi will choose the theme for the first round, while I'll choose the theme for the second round. How about that?"

"Splendid. Kakashi, is that alright with you?"

"Sure," drawled the silver-head. "So I get to pick the first theme..."

Pondering, Kakashi didn't notice the evil grin on Obito's face.

* * *

"Welcome to the Twentieth-or-so Toddler Drawing Contest!"

Naruto cheered, Sakura giggled and Sasuke smiled as they sat in their respective 'drawing stations' (AKA some kiddy tables). Obito, being the host, asked the contestants to introduce themselves.

"I'm Uzum'ki Naruto! I'm gonna win, dattebayo!"

"I–I'm Haruno Sakura, an' I hope I can win too!"

"Uchiha Sasuke. I want to beat Naruto."

"Good luck to all of you," grinned Obito. "Your judge for this event is a special guest. He may have silver hair and a bored face, but he's a harsh critic! Please, clap for Hatake Bakashi!"

The toddlers clapped as Kakashi arrived at the 'judging panel' (AKA a table). "Arigato for the welcome, Ahobito," he said, as he seated himself next to the point-tallier Rin, who laughed as the two men participated in a glowering contest.

"Your first _theme_," said Obito, who was frustrated after losing to Kakashi, "is vegetables, courtesy of your judge. You have one minute to decide on what to draw! Go!"

"Wha–?! BUT I DUN KNO' ANY VEG'TABLES!"

"Baka! It's becaus' you never eat any!"

"Hn. Do tomatoes count?"

"Sasuke, tomatoes are fruit," said Rin. "And Naruto, I'm sure you can remember some vegetables from dinner last night."

"Eh... Rin-nee, did we have ramen?"

"I–Is ramen all you think about?!"

"Hn. Dobe."

"Sasuke-baka, I heard tha–!"

"Time's up!" shouted Obito. "Begin drawing in three! two! one!"

Instantly, the three toddlers began drawing– Naruto frantic, Sakura hesitant, and Sasuke calculative. A flurry of yellow and red and blue crayons were all that could be seen as pictures emerged on paper. Finally, two minutes passed by, leaving the competitors with their final pieces.

"Let's begin the judging!"

Kakashi inspected the first one with a sweat-drop. It was, in simple terms, a yellow oval with hair.

"... Mangoes aren't vegetables, brat."

"T'AT'S A CARROT, DATTEBAYO!" Naruto exclaimed as he flailed his drawing at Kakashi's face.

"Oh, sorry..." He'd love to point out that carrots were pointed and not rounded like an eggplant, but then Kakashi would have to endure possible pouting and crying from the boy. He sighed. They'd practically thrown him to the deep end with this. Oh well. "Considering that you have a limited knowledge of vegetables, your 'carrot' is good enough. However, carrots are not round. Two points."

"EH?! So mean, Scarecrow-nii!"

Obito shook his head. "That's Bakashi's final verdict, Naruto."

"I shoulda'v drawn a tri'ngle!"

"Next," drawled Kakashi.

Sakura held up her drawing of a three red ovals. Kakashi cocked his head as he asked, "What are those?"

"P–Potatoes, Kaka-san. They're veg'tables, right?"

"They are..." At least Sakura was better than Naruto. "While I admit that your potatoes were well-drawn, they are simple to draw. You have no technique. Two-and-a-half points."

Sakura frowned, but she bowed nonetheless. "Arigato! I'll do better!"

"Sakura is in the lead by half a point! Will Sasuke not just beat her, but also the judge's critical eye?!"

The young Uchiha confidently strode towards Kakashi, paper gripped delicately in his hand. As he stood before Kakashi with the stance of a soldier, he held up his drawing. Blue, intricate strokes converged together into a leafy object that was like an upside down umbrella.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. Even Obito looked confused.

"Uh, Sasuke... what is that?"

"You don't know, oji-san?" said Sasuke, confused by their confusion. "It's lettuce."

...

..."Sasuke," began Obito, a sweat-drop already forming on his head, "lettuces are round, not... that."

"I know. It would've been complete if I had more time."

"Oh, I see... then the judge would just have to take that into consideration!" The caretaker clapped. "What is your verdict, Bakashi?"

"Zero points."

...

...

...

...

..."EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!"

Obito, Naruto and Sakura were slackjawed as they stared at Kakashi in shock. Even Sasuke was taken aback, which was a rarity for the toddler.

"_Zero points_?! Why _zero_?!"

"It's simple," replied Kakashi, unfazed by their reactions as he looked at Sasuke. "Your drawing would've been excellent if you had completed it. But since you didn't, you lost points. You didn't manage your time, and you spent perfecting it instead of drawing it.

"I don't see lettuce. I just see lines."

There was more silence. All of them were struck by the silver-haired man's brutal honesty. Obito was silently fuming and ready to give Kakashi a lecture. Naruto was never one to feel empathy for Sasuke, but with the way the young Uchiha was looking, he may have to _hug_ him. Sakura, however, was one step ahead.

"Sasu-kun..." Sakura tentatively wrapped her arms around the crestfallen toddler. "D–Dun cry, Sasu-kun! Kaka-san is lying! Right? Right?"

By the look on his face, Kakashi was not. Yet, to his surprise, Sasuke raised his head.

"I won't cry," he said, as he resolutely broke from Sakura's embrace. And then with one swift motion, he bowed.

"Arigato, Hatake-jiisan!"

...

...

...

...

..."EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!"

Obito, Naruto and Sakura were slackjawed as they stared at Sasuke in shock. Even Kakashi was taken aback, which was a rarity for the man.

"_Arigato_?! Why _arigato_?!"

"It's simple," replied Sasuke, unfazed by their reactions as he looked at Kakashi. "My family always praises me at everything, so I always think I'm talented. But now I realize that they weren't being honest towards me. Now, I see the truth.

"So arigato, Hatake-jiisan, for being honest with me!"

There was more silence. All of them were struck by the toddler's brutal honesty. Obito had calmed down, but he was _still_ going to give Kakashi a lecture. Naruto was never one to feel admiration for Sasuke, but with the way the young Uchiha was looking, he might just _compliment_ him. Sakura, however, was one step ahead.

"Sasu-kun..." Sakura tentatively took the hands of the toddler. "Y–You're so strong! Teach me to be strong!"

Deja vu was a strange mistress, indeed.

"Me too!" cheered Naruto. "Sasuke-baka, teech me to draw as well!"

"Well," said Rin, who watched the four making a commotion, "it looks like you've earned your place here in the daycare, Kakashi."

Kakashi said nothing back. After all, it was the first time he'd enjoyed putting a smile on someone's face.

After Sasuke promised his friends that he'd teach them sometime, Obito announced the end of Round One. As the toddler trio went back to their drawing stations with renewed determination, Obito held up his fake microphone and grandiosely gestured to an even faker audience.

"Sakura won the Vegetable Round, but only by half a point! She is in the lead with two-and-a-half points; Naruto is in second with two points; and Sasuke is shockingly nowhere with no points! This is the toughest contest yet!"

"You can still win, Sasuke," said Rin.

Sasuke nodded, "I will try, oba-san."

"Round Two's theme will be suggested by me, so the judge won't know what to expect," continued Obito. "I'll tell the mystery theme to the contestants one by one."

As the caretaker whispered one by one into the toddlers' ears, Kakashi noticed their surprised and amused looks. And was Obito grinning? "I have a bad feeling about this."

Rin chuckled. "Knowing Obito, he'll have something up his sleeve."

What a child.

"Round Two, start!"

There was another flurry of primary colors as the three drew and drew with their tiny hands. Pictures emerged on blank pieces of paper, pictures that Kakashi wouldn't expect and most certainly wouldn't like if he found out the theme that inspired them. As time flew by, the two minutes ended, leaving the contestants to line up in single file to present their pieces.

"Before we start the judging, can I suggest that we have the contestants show their pieces at the same time?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Obito. "Why?"

"It's a rather... _exclusive_ theme."

The silver-head was about to disagree, but his curiosity got the better of him. "_Fine_, but tell me the theme first."

"Sure~" sang Obito, "because the theme is you!"

In an instant, all three toddlers raised their artworks for Kakashi to see. All of them had a messed up drawing of the said silver-head– Naruto drew him as a scarecrow; Sakura drew him as a contorted blob; and Sasuke drew him as a stick figure.

Anybody else would've been touched, but not Hatake Kakashi. At least, not with an Uchiha Obito kneeling on the ground because he was laughing his stupid ass off.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were confused by the black-haired man's uproarious laughter and the silver-haired man's deathly glare, but somehow in their young, developing minds, they accepted that this would be a routine in the many days to come.

Rin, meanwhile, laughed.

In the end, Kakashi gave all of their drawings zero points, making Sakura the default winner of the Twentieth-or-so Toddler Drawing Contest.

* * *

The time betrayed Kakashi. He'd planned to leave the daycare earlier, but now it was 6:00 PM and the skies were already darkening with the color of evenings. He'd rejected having dinner in the daycare after Rin had invited him to stay longer, which led him to presently stand outside the front door to bid goodbye.

"Aren't their parents coming?" he asked Rin, looking inside to find three little bodies sleeping on cushions.

"They work late," she admitted.

He could hear Obito humming inside– he was cooking stir fry, if the smell was any indication. Kakashi felt a tiny bit jealous, only because the dinners back in his own place were mere instant noodles and microwavable meals.

Rin's sudden question just barely reached his ears. "Did you enjoy yourself?" she'd asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes.

Kakashi let himself nod, but only _once._ He was a prideful man, dammit. He was glad Nohara Rin knew that, because his nod seemed to be enough for her.

"That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't."

He'd been sure he _wouldn't_ have enjoyed himself, but enjoy he did. Kakashi entertained himself with the thought of hypnotism and black magick, however ridiculous it sounded. He was in denial about the whole thing, but only because he didn't want to look like a fool who regretted his words.

The thing was, Kakashi never expected to join in any of their activities, because he simply thought he'd scare the three away. But with some coaxing from Rin and, admittedly, Obito, the toddlers accepted Kakashi in their small world. Looking back, the silver-head didn't know what to make of it. He wasn't fond with children, yet Naruto and Sakura and Sasuke seemed to be fond of him.

But one thought lingered, and it was a strange one. When he was judging and arguing and watching, he felt... like he _belonged_.

_But I'm not coming back..._

_... am I?_

He shook his head. "I'm leaving now," he informed her as he turned away. "Don't stop me." Memories of the train station assaulted his mind.

"I'm afraid I need to," he heard her say just as reached the front of the house. "I need to ask you something."

Kakashi knew something was amiss, because there was no smile on Rin's face.

"What is it?"

He saw her hesitate, which prompted him to raise his brows.

"Are you... familiar with the name Uzumaki?"

Those words had an instantaneous effect on him. His eyes dilated. His breath was cut short. It didn't take him a second to reply back, voice laced with a subtle snarl:

"_How do you know that name?_"

Kakashi saw her frown, and it took him a while to realize that Rin wasn't frowning out of fear, but out of guilt. That frown marred her face and made her look helpless, as though it emphasized the existence of the wheelchair which bound her for life. Kakashi would feel guilty, but his mind was fixated on the fact that Rin uttered a name he himself was afraid to say.

_Uzumaki. Uzumaki. Uzumaki._

"_How do you–_" Kakashi stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "... How do you know that name?"

Rin did not reply as quickly as he expected. Rather, it seemed like she was calculating her choice of words. "I just heard it somewhere," she finally said.

She miscalculated. "That doesn't answer _anything_," Kakashi growled, not caring if he scared her. "Why ask me if I knew it?"

"Kakashi–"

"_Tell me!_"

The evening air brushed his skin as a breeze enveloped them both, inviting the silence.

"I can't tell you."

Kakashi was about to protest, but she spoke again– firmly, but softly.

"No, sorry... I can't tell you _yet_. I need more information."

"What do you mean 'you need more information'?"

Rin gave him a sad smile.

"Goodbye, Kakashi. Please come tomorrow."

The cicadas' chorus drowned the sound of the door creaking shut.

* * *

Yeah, abrupt ending. Stay tuned!


End file.
